U.S. Women's Teams Loses to Russia

[erpowers]

The U.S. Women's basketball team lost, in the semifinals, to Russia earlier today. The final score was 75-68. It seems the U.S team had a bad night of poor shooting and bad ballhandling.

[jakefrep]

1. So...

When are they going to get slagged the way the mens' team does when it loses? They should be subject to the same ignorant abuse.

[erpowers]

2. It Is Different

Even though you are wrong, the women get bashed/slagged everyday, things happen to be different. The women lose much less than the men and they get paid considerably less then the men. I contend that it hurts more to pay guys millions a year, some $20 million a year,then claim they are the very best in the world, and then watch them lose to guys paid at least 1/3 of what the American team composed of NBA players are paid. You must remember the mens team has at times lost to teams that do not have any NBA players on their roster.

I guess it is rather easy to see a women's team who you claimed could not really play lose to other women who you claim cannot play either. I would think it has to hurt more for the guys when you say these guys are so much better than the women and then they (the men) cannot even shoot a mid-range jumper. That is why the men get criticized so much when they lose in international competitions.

Finally, there are two other points that you should know. Until recently, about 10 years ago, women's basketball in the USA was somewhat treated like the red headed stepchild. When the first dream team went the the Olympics in 1992 the men were put in first class and given champagne while the women were put in coach and given the airline food. Secondly, the host of the Sports Bash on ESPN radio, Erik Causilis told sports fans from Seattle that they could not claim that their state had won a championship in that the championship was won by the Seattle Storm (the WNBA team) and that did not actually count as a championship. So that is why very few people are bashing the women's team the way they do the men.

[jakefrep]

3. I didn't say they couldn't play...

...I'm just waiting for the team get pounded with the same ridiculous and ignorant criticism the mens' team is subjected to when they lose. It's all about equality.

[erpowers]

4. Not Really

It is not really about equality. When I said you I meant Americans and some sports fans in general, not you. I know you yourself did not say they could not play. What I was saying was that in general many people claim that women baskeball cannot really play basketball. That is why they are never criticized as the men are. People pretty much so expect them to lose and miss shots. However, sports fans expect the men to win and make shots. In my opinion equality in loses would call for people calling for guys in the NBA to lose their contracts when they shot 30% percent in a game. Many people use missed shots as a way to bash women basketball players.

[anakie]

5. and Australia won

hooray.